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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24954922">All the Pain Won't Keep Me From Coming Back</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chibi_Pix/pseuds/Chibi_Pix'>Chibi_Pix</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Voltron: Legendary Defender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Blood, Electrical burns, Pidge | Katie Holt-centric, Stabbing, Stalking, Violence, Whump, minor Allura appearance, minor Coran appearance, minor Hunk appearance, minor Keith appearance, minor Lance appearance, possibly killing the antagonist</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 09:34:14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,544</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24954922</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chibi_Pix/pseuds/Chibi_Pix</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Pidge knew she should have trusted her first instinct when she spotted an alien following them from planet to planet and watching the team closely. Never had she actually expected to be the target of some strange obsession and then have to fight her way to escape, using logic and memories of movies to aid her.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>45</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>All the Pain Won't Keep Me From Coming Back</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Etherithical/gifts">Etherithical</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is inspired by and written for Etherithical. Eth had some ideas that inspired me to write and so I did! While some of what I do is angsty, this is definitely one of those that's just straight up pain and whump. But it was worth it!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Familiar. The face had been so familiar. She had seen it before. Pidge swore she had seen that one particular alien watching her on the past three planets they liberated from the Galra’s rule. And it wasn’t that it was the face of an alien of the same species, but it was that exact same face she had remembered. Was he following the paladins? Was he an agent of the Galra looking to abduct Allura? Though a paladin, she was still the princess. Or perhaps he was waiting to find a time to get the lions?</p>
<p>Pidge tried to investigate. By the time she could reach where the alien had been watching her, he was gone. Vanished. No trace that he had been there to begin with. This perplexed her, but she didn’t let it worry her too much; she had more important things to do, such as locate her father and brother, help fully take back the universe from the Galran rule, and help Hunk figure out a way to make space peanut butter.</p>
<p>During one of Team Voltron’s missions against the Galran threat, Pidge found herself not only separated from the team, but also badly injured. She was shaky and slowly losing consciousness as she flew the green lion through space, trying to avoid being hit by the fighter ships that still pursued her. She managed to activate the vine cannon and get rid of them, but that still didn’t change the fact that she wasn’t anywhere near the team.</p>
<p>“Guys, do you copy? Shiro? Allura? Hunk? Lance?” She hoped someone would pick up on the comm. But there was nothing. Grumbling, Pidge did her best to keep her eyes open. Looking down, she could see the injury, a weapon previously having torn through her armor and then her flesh. She was bleeding too much; it didn’t seem that bad when they went to a base to take down, even going in so they could shut it down and make it easier, but now she wished she said something to the others instead of brushing it off.</p>
<p>With her head feeling light, Pidge didn’t react in time to the asteroid she came upon. She found herself crashing upon it, jostling her around and making her whimper in pain. “Okay… okay… let’s just… rest.” she mumbled.</p>
<p>Carefully, Pidge stood up and staggered her way out of the lion’s cockpit. She made her way to the hold, hoping to find a first-Aid kit. She barely got there before she collapsed.</p>
<p>-+-+-+-</p>
<p>When Pidge came to, she found herself to be feeling much better. She looked around, finding herself in a home-like area. It was simple. Stone walls, tapestries of intricate designs upon them, a window with the curtains closed, it was quaint and welcoming. She then looked down at herself. She was left in her armor’s bodysuit, but the main pieces had been removed; further investigation showed them to be on a table at the other end of the room. She pulled the blanket down as she sat up more and checked her side. The bodysuit was still torn, but her wound looked so much better, hardly a scar to tell her she had been injured. Wow, whoever found her, they must have had good medicine; it was almost as effective as the healing pods back on the castle.</p>
<p>“You’re awake! What a relief.” An alien entered the room, a tray in his hands. “I was worried I was too late when the green lion crashed, but it looks like you pulled through.”</p>
<p>Pidge watched the alien cautiously. She recognized him as the one watching the team. Was he being genuine in helping her? Or was he hoping for something more? He seemed kind enough; now that she thought of it, maybe he was a fan of Voltron and the paladins and just shy about approaching them.</p>
<p>“So you helped me out?” Pidge asked. “Thanks. I’m Pidge.”</p>
<p>The alien grinned brightly. “I’m Uldel.” He went over and set the tray down, showing a sort of breakfast that looked similar to something Pidge would enjoy on Earth and what she assumed was juice. “I fixed you some food; that should help you get your strength back. You seem to have lost a lot of blood, not that I know much for your species, but...”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I’m certain I did, too.” Pidge admitted. “Thanks. It looks and smells good.”</p>
<p>“I’ll leave you to it. I’ll check on you later.” Uldel dipped his head respectfully. “If you need me, just call.” He then left, going through the only door in the room.</p>
<p>Pidge was cautious at first as she ate the food, not knowing if the ingredients would agree with her species, but finding it to be safe, she finished it off with ease. It looked different, but it definitely tasted like something she would have back on Earth and that made it even more enjoyable. After she finished off what she was calling <em>breakfast</em>, she felt herself grow tired. It had to have been the blood loss. Yawning, she put the tray to the side and curled back up, deciding to sleep everything off. She figured she could try to contact the other paladins when she woke up.</p>
<p>However, things did not always go according to plan. When Pidge woke up, she found it was dark out, no light shining past the curtains. She didn’t know the day/night cycle of wherever she was, so she couldn’t gauge how long she was out for. No matter. She ended up getting out of bed. A little tired still and off balance, she made her way to the door, entering another room. There, Uldel was sitting, looking at a photo. Seeing it over his shoulder, Pidge realized it was of her. It was during one of their stops on another planet when the team stood together and others took their pictures; the other paladins had been cropped out. Already, Pidge’s brain was sending her <em>error</em> messages, warning her to leave.</p>
<p>“Thank you for your hospitality.” Pidge stated, minding her manners and being polite despite her concerns.</p>
<p>“Oh! I didn’t hear you get up!” Uldel put the photo down. “How do you feel? Hungry? Tired? You can stay longer if you wish, get your strength back.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, but as a paladin of Voltron, I need to return to the rest of the team.” Pidge commented. She also needed her armor, but screw it! She needed to get out of there; Allura would have a spare for her. “We have our jobs to do if there is to be peace in the universe. Again, thank you for your hospitality.” The green paladin turned and went to another door, certain it was the one to lead outside. Before she could open it, though, Uldel was right behind her, hand over hers.</p>
<p>“You needn’t leave so soon. Your injury may have healed, but you’re still recovering; I can give you shelter and protection.” Uldel whispered in her ear. “You wouldn’t deny someone’s help, would you?”</p>
<p>Pidge had seen enough movies to know this was not a good thing. She spun around and faced him. “I’m sorry,” she tried to stay as calm as possible, “but I must leave.”</p>
<p>“Hmm.” Uldel smiled as he raised his hand, gently brushing one finger across her cheek. “You’re a brave and strong paladin… but I can tell you’re scared. I assure you, it’ll be fine. You’re safe here.”</p>
<p>And that was it. Pidge knew this was not a good place to be and she had to escape at that very moment. She then felt a pinch. Something, a needle, dug into her neck. She felt the overwhelming sensation of tiredness fill her. “Quiz… nak..” And she fell into Uldel’s arms, darkness taking over her.</p>
<p>By the time Pidge came to again, she was in another room. Movement of her arm resulted in a jingling noise. When she check it, she saw her wrist had a cuff around it and she was chained to a wall. Every swear word she learned from other mother went through her mind, both in Italian and English. This was not good.</p>
<p>“My dear Pidge,” Uldel spoke as he turned on a light, “I’m sorry I had to do that. I really don’t want to hurt you, but if you run away, then I just might have to.” He twirled a knife around his fingers with dangerous and threatening dexterity.</p>
<p>“Yeah, I’ve heard lines like that in news articles and movies. That’s a red flag right there.” Pidge responded. She tugged on the chain. “Release me now, Uldel!”</p>
<p>“Oh? And what will you do if I don’t?” He smirked a bit. “You’re unarmed, my dear Pidge. And you don’t have those other paladins… you don’t need them. They don’t care about you, not like I do.” He smiled brightly, but it wasn’t warm or welcoming to the paladin. “They make you fight. They make you work hard in a war that won’t end; it’s been going on for so long, what can Voltron do? The Galra keep spreading. But you can be safe. You can stay with me and we’ll be safe.”</p>
<p>“No thanks.” Pidge grumbled. It was perhaps the wrong response since the alien holding her captive scowled.</p>
<p>Uldel walked over to Pidge and knelt beside her. He pressed the knife to her shoulder, but it wasn’t enough to cut the fabric of her bodysuit, let alone her skin. “I’d lose that attitude if I were you. The more you deny me, the worse things will hurt.”</p>
<p>“Piss off.”</p>
<p>Wrong answer.</p>
<p>Uldel upheld his promise and slammed the knife down and into Pidge’s hand, making her cry out. “It’ll heal, I’ll make sure of it, but for now… it’ll hurt.” He smiled softly as he let go of the knife, leaving it in Pidge’s hand, and put his hands up, cupping her cheeks. “Now then, let’s try again. You get to stay here and I will protect you from the war.” Pidge managed to glare at him through her tears. “Fine. I’ll leave you here to think about it.” He left her, going up a set of stairs.</p>
<p>Seeing Uldel leave, Pidge had an idea that she was in a basement. Great. And worse, she had a knife stuck in her hand. That was going to hurt taking out and she needed to cover the wound to stop the bleeding when she did. She then looked at her bodysuit. She could use part of that.</p>
<p>Pidge tugged at the sleeve with her uninjured hand. It would make a good bandage, but she had to act quick. Determined, she pulled the knife out, doing her best not to make a sound, though a whimper still escaped her. She then cut through the shoulder of her under armor enough to tear the rest and yank it down and under the cuff. She wrapped her hand with the fabric, taking in deep breaths through her nose.</p>
<p>“Okay. Okay. Got it. We’re good. We’ve got this.” she reminded herself. “Quiznak, that hurt… bastard.” Pidge definitely couldn’t stay. She had to get out of there. But first she had to get unchained. She tested the cuff around her wrist. It would hurt, but she was sure she could slip her hand through; she had to remove her make-shift bandage first. “Okay, let’s do this.” she told herself.</p>
<p>She was right. It hurt. But she couldn’t give up. She had to get the cuff and chain off and escape. With the right amount of tugging and even getting her feet up to the cuff to push it off, she managed to remove it. It tore up her skin more, but it was better than being stuck. Deep breaths. She did her best not to scream. Once Pidge calmed down, she rewrapped her hand and secured the bandage.</p>
<p>“Okay, time get the hell out of here.” she commented as she slowly got to her feet. Pidge was cautious and quiet as she looked around the basement. She hoped to find something, a window, a crawl space, anything, to escape through, but it was closed in. Great. So, she carefully climbed the stairs, moving as slowly as possible and hoping none of the steps, which were wooden, wouldn’t creak under her weight; if Lance were there, he would tease her about not weighing a thing and Hunk would point out that she should eat more.</p>
<p>Pidge got up to the door and was thankful it wasn’t locked. Slowly, she opened it just enough to peek out through, hoping she didn’t see Uldel waiting there. She then spotted the door she tried to leave through earlier. It had to be the exit, right? At this point, if things did go wrong, she was ready to break a window, preferably with that jerk’s face, and escape that way.</p>
<p>With the coast clear, she slid out more and went to the other door. She carefully opened it, making sure it didn’t make a noise as she did so. Light. Daylight. Freedom.</p>
<p>Pain.</p>
<p>Pidge let out a cry as a blade embedded itself in her shoulder. She looked back to see something much like a paring knife sticking out; she sure hoped the blade was short and didn’t cause too much damage. She managed to rip it out; it hurt, but not as bad as her hand.</p>
<p>“You are a clever one; how you got out, I don’t know, but I’m impressed.” Uldel commented, twirling another knife in his hand.</p>
<p>“Asshole!” Pidge snapped before flinging the door open and running out. She wasn’t about to ruin her attempt at an escape by going after her captor; she had known that mistake well enough thanks to movies she would watch with Matt back on Earth. She kept running until she smacked into something. A barrier. “Huh? Wait… what?” She was so determined to escape, she never stopped to look ahead and see if something was blocking her path. “Oh c’mon! You’ve gotta be shi-”</p>
<p>“Pidge, Pidge, Pidge, if you wanted to come outside so much, all you had to do was ask.” Uldel walked out calmly, following after her. “Of course, there is a barrier. Here, we won’t be bothered.”</p>
<p>“Dude, you’re giving me some serious jeebies and I already had the heebies.” Pidge commented. “And those aren’t good things.”</p>
<p>“Still denying me. Still denying my protection.”</p>
<p>“You stabbed my hand and threw a kitchen knife into my shoulder!”</p>
<p>“Because you deny me.”</p>
<p>“Because you’re a stalker!”</p>
<p>“You call it stalking, I call it admiring.”</p>
<p>“Ew.”</p>
<p>“But if you’re so determined to get away, then try. I’ll give you a head start.”</p>
<p>Pidge didn’t like this. But she wasn’t about to turn down that offer. She needed all the time she could get. She then ran off.</p>
<p>“Of course, the more you run,” he called after her, “the more it’ll hurt. Keep running, and even what I will do will make the Galra look merciful.”</p>
<p>Those words didn’t make Pidge feel calm as she went back to the house, noticing it, now that she was outside, was bigger than a quaint little home. She had to find her armor; at least it would protect her more and perhaps she could use its comm to contact the team or locate Green. If only she hadn’t left her bayard in the lion, docked in its port and ready for Voltron if the robot was needed.</p>
<p>She managed to find the room she first woke up in again. A few profanities, her armor wasn’t there. Great. And all she had on her was that knife she pulled from her shoulder; she wished she thought to get the other that had been in her hand, but she wasn’t about to go back to the basement to grab it and get cornered. Pidge went for the window, hoping it would open and she could escape from that side.</p>
<p>To no surprise, the window was locked. Great.</p>
<p>“A little cliché, hmm? Trying through a window after you go back inside?” Uldel leaned against the door frame. “And did you really think I’d leave your armor here? Not now. Not after I have you in my grasps and you’re trying to escape.” Pidge stood her ground, the small knife ready to be used as she held it up. This only made Uldel chuckle as he pushed off from the frame. “You’ve got spirit, though. I look forward to breaking it.”</p>
<p>Uldel grabbed Pidge by the wrist of her injured hand. It hurt and she cried out, but she refused to drop her only actual weapon. He pulled her over with enough force, the paladin was surprised he didn’t dislocate any of her joints. He then wrapped his arms around her, keeping her close.</p>
<p>“Let go of me, you creep!” Pidge wriggled, hoping to get away.</p>
<p>“That’s no way to act; you had a fair chance and now you’re mine.”</p>
<p>“No I’m not!” Pidge spun around and stabbed him in the cheek, dragging the knife more to cut the skin until she pulled it loose. This caused the alien to screech and stagger back in both pain and surprise; he never expected his target to actually attack back. Well, Pidge was a fighter and there was no stopping her. Free of his grip, she ran off again.</p>
<p>Or at least she tried.</p>
<p>She felt a sharp pain in her leg. Sticking out of the back of her thigh was another knife; the bastard really had good aim to throw the object and get it stuck in flesh and muscle. That didn’t stop her, though. Hobbling, Pidge got away and found another room to hide in, thankful for all of the closed doors so she wouldn’t make it too obvious as to where she was hiding. She looked at the knife and grimaced; she couldn’t leave it in, but she couldn’t just take it out either. Looking, she noticed she was in another bedroom. Limping and doing her best to not make noise, she got over to the furniture and took her knife she had; she made sure not to let go of it at all. She used it to cut up the sheet and make bandages from it. She redid her hand, getting the clean sheet around it, then moved onto her leg, careful to remove the other knife and then quick to wrap and cover the injury.</p>
<p>“Well, bad news is I’m hurt, bleeding, and don’t know where Green is. Good news is, I’ve got a bigger knife.” she commented as she caught her breath. She then focused. She was in the lion when she first passed out after crashing; maybe Uldel brought it with him. But she couldn’t feel for her ship. She couldn’t sense the lion. He must have gone inside and brought her out, maybe worried about being tracked. Great. A smart bad guy.</p>
<p>She just had to be smarter. And smarter told her he had a way to put the barrier up around his property. So, there had to be a control room. Pidge went to the door, her steps unsteady due to the pain in her leg; she was thankful that the knife had been in her thigh and not her knee, otherwise she worried it would be much worse. She listened for any sounds of Uldel, hearing him shout further in another section of the house. Good.</p>
<p>Pidge opened the door and slipped out, barely closing it behind her. She then hobbled off, making sure not to touch the walls. She didn’t want blood getting on them and telling her captor where to find her. She decided to use logic to find out where the control room would be. While the basement, hidden, would be a good option, she had already been in there and looked for anything, mainly a way out for even trap or hidden doors would have been nice while down there. Nothing. Logically, the room would be upstairs, able to work with a barrier to surrounded the property.</p>
<p>She just needed to find the stairs. But realizing how many doors there were, Pidge came to the conclusion that they would be hidden by a door.</p>
<p>Carefully, she checked each door, hoping for stairs. More rooms. As she checked though, she had to be cautious. She stopped hearing Uldel. At that point, he could be anywhere.</p>
<p>Pidge slowly opened one door into a room. She stopped. Something was off. Listening, she thought she could hear breathing that wasn’t her own. This was where she applied logic from movies. Most characters walked right into a room, the door would shut behind them, then the antagonist would be there and attack. Pidge was not most characters; she felt she would be the smart one and damn it all, she planned to survive.</p>
<p>She let out the breath she didn’t realize she held. Then, in one quick move, she slammed the door open all the way, smacking it into something much softer than a wall. A grunt from Uldel was enough to tell her that he was definitely back there. Another score for Pidge!</p>
<p>She took a quick glance in the room. No doors. No stairs. No windows. No ladders. She slammed the door shut and hobbled off to another room, getting a couple doors down the hall before slipping in. If Uldel was half as smart as he was creepy, he would check the nearest rooms for her. Thankfully the room she picked had another bed in it, blankets long and hanging over the edge. As much as it hurt, she got down on the ground and slid under it, relieved she didn’t get blood on the floor. She didn’t want to think of why there were so many beds, but instead was just glad she was small enough to hide under them.</p>
<p>After a minute, the door opened, creaking as it did so. Pidge held her breath the best she could. Step. Step. Step. Uldel walked in and towards the bed. She watched as his foot brushed against the blanket hanging down. It took everything in her to not make even a squeak. She felt cold even though sweat fell down her face. She tried not to tremble. He was too close and she prayed to any deity there was that she would get out of this safely.</p>
<p>Uldel moved again, seeming to walk out of the room. But he didn’t go far enough. Pidge willed him to keep going, but she also prepared herself for him to move the bed or look under the covers. As prepared as she was, she still let out a scream when she felt him grab her ankle and yank her out in one swift move.</p>
<p>“How cute, hiding under the bed like a chi-” Pidge rolled to her back and with her good leg, she kicked him in the jaw. Uldel didn’t appreciate it and, showing to have another knife, he went at her. Pidge rolled away, but it didn’t keep her from getting hit; it did, however, lessen the blow. Pidge had a long gash along her side and going toward her back as she rolled. She got to her feet and tried to hobble off again. “I don’t think so!” Uldel snagged the back of her bodysuit and tried to yank her back.</p>
<p>“I don’t care what you think!” Pidge turned and using the paring knife one more time, she managed to plunge it into Uldel’s eye. It wasn’t enough to kill him, but it did make him back off and cry out in pain, even yelling profanities at Pidge. She didn’t care. She took to hobbling off again and hoping to find what she needed.</p>
<p>As quickly as she could, unsure when Uldel would get the strength to go after her again and how much anger he would have behind his actions, she checked behind the doors. She finally found one that led to a small closet-like space with nothing in it. Peculiar. Pidge closed the door behind her and felt around. There had to be something, right? She hoped she was right. Then she felt it. A door in the ceiling. She managed to pull it down and found a ladder to slide into place. Perfect!</p>
<p>She scrambled up the ladder. Not wanting the risk, once through, she pulled it up and secured it. She then looked around the room and smiled. Technology. She found the control room. “Oh thank goodness...” she gasped out, relief washing over her as much as possible. She knew she wasn’t in the clear yet, but she was one step closer. She got up and went to one of the computers. She wished she had her helmet, wanting to use its hud for translating, but that wasn’t happening. At this point, she figured she would have to wing it and hope something would work. Or take the primitive method and damage it.</p>
<p>Back when Sendak took over the castle, destroying its power source, the crystal, shut everything down. Pidge wondered if she could do that as well, or at least take inspiration from it. Well, one way to find out. She went over to the wires and cords, looking for one that could be power.</p>
<p>She found one that was promising. “Okay… please be what I’m looking for.” She took in a deep breath, unsure of what would happen. Nodding, she took the larger knife that had been used on her leg cut through the cord she found. She did her best to bite back the sob as her hands wereshocked. The cord was no longer directing the electricity in a safe manner and was free, burning her skin and causing it to horribly discolour. She pulled away and held her hand close, doing her best not to scream out.</p>
<p>Then there was a sound. The ladder was pulled from below and slammed down. Pidge muttered a few choice words before looking to the computers. Offline. Maybe the barrier was, too. Of course, she had to get out of the house and hobble off as fast as she could without being caught. However, that was not feasible as Uldel came up the ladder, hand over his eye.</p>
<p>“I’ve tried playing nice, but now it looks like I need to break you even more.” he snapped as he neared Pidge. She did her best to scoot back, but one hand had been stabbed, both had burns on them, she was in pain. She then looked to the knife she had dropped when her hand was hurt. She had to defend herself. Pushing through, she tried to lunge for the knife, but so did Uldel. “Not fast enough!” Uldel managed to straddle Pidge and grab the knife before she could snatch it. He then held it to her clavicle, pressing it in through the bodysuit and her flesh, making her blood ooze out.</p>
<p>Pidge let out a cry as he slowly sunk the blade into her. “Keep crying; no one can hear you.”</p>
<p>Pidge whimpered a bit. He had a point. She didn’t have her armor or comm, she didn’t know where Green was, and she was left with this, for lack of a degree in psychology and better word, psychopath. She didn’t know if this was the end. Her mother would never know of what happened to her. Her brother and father may never find out that she tried so hard to find them.</p>
<p>Then a light bulb went off in her mind. The cord was still sparking and looked to be in reach. It was going to hurt a lot, but she hoped it would hurt him more than her. She gave a determined smirk as she managed to reach for it, feeling it burn her hand even further. Uldel didn’t see it in time before Pidge plunged it into his other eye. He cried out in pain as it shocked him, causing him to drag the knife through Pidge’s skin before it was finally pulled out.</p>
<p>Pidge let go and managed to get out from under the alien and away from him. She sat there and tried to catch her breath as Uldel continued to writhe until he went completely limp, the skin around his eye burned. Pidge watched him for a few seconds. No sound. No sign of breathing. She wondered if she ended up killing him.</p>
<p>Deciding not to stick around to find out, Pidge managed to get up. She went and carefully slid herself down the ladder and back to the halls. She hobbled around and found the front door again. Looking this time, she could see the barrier was down. Good. Her work paid off.</p>
<p>“Okay… hopefully I can find a town or something and they’re less of assholes than that prick.” she muttered to herself as she hobbled away. Part of her wished she had a cane or crutches or something like those, but she figured if she did, her hands were in so much pain it wouldn’t do any good; she wouldn’t have been able to hold onto it.</p>
<p>Pidge kept hobbling until she heard a ship. She hissed under her breath, hoping they weren’t an enemy, especially when she heard it come near and land not too far. She couldn’t run, she couldn’t fight anymore.</p>
<p>But she didn’t have to.</p>
<p>Pidge recognized the uniform when someone stepped out. Blade of Marmora. They were an agent. They ran over as Pidge fell back and sat in the grass.</p>
<p>“Pidge? Pidge!” they called, supporting her. That voice. It was familiar; she was too tired to place where she recognized it from. They caused their mask to disappear, showing Keith’s face. “Pidge, hey, you with me? It’ll be okay, I found you. I found you...”</p>
<p>“Great timing, Keith.” Pidge responded as she slumped. “I think I still hurt… I may be too numb at this point.”</p>
<p>“Let’s get you back to the castle.” Keith scooped Pidge up, minding her injuries. “Shit, these are bad.”</p>
<p>“At least I survived and the pods should help.” Pidge commented. “It wasn’t fun, though. Had to deal with this obsessive stalker.”</p>
<p>“You don’t need to talk about it if you want.” Keith reminded, not wanting Pidge to strain herself or have to relive the trauma she endured. He carried Pidge to his ship where another Blade was waiting; judging by the uniform, they weren’t Kolivan, but they were still supervising the young Blade.</p>
<p>“You fly, I’ll get her wounds tended to until we get back to the castle.” they informed, taking Pidge from Keith. They got her to a cot and laying down while Keith went to the cockpit. “What even happened?”</p>
<p>“Ryl!” Keith hissed.</p>
<p>“Heh, it’s fine.” Pidge waved it off before the Blade, Ryl, took it carefully and applied ointment to soothe the burns. “Let’s just say I’m never going on a blind date. Not that that’s what this was, but still. Close enough. Ugh, I didn’t even get my armor back.”</p>
<p>“Well, you’ll get a new one from Allura, I’m sure.” Keith assured. “Now rest; you’ll be back soon.”</p>
<p>-+-+-+-</p>
<p>“I’m sorry that the pod couldn’t prevent the scars.” Coran declared. Pidge spent a bit more than a day in a healing pod when she was brought back. The moment she got to the castle, Allure helped get her into a jumpsuit to help with the healing and she was in. Once out, she was wrapped up in a blanket and brought to the dining room to eat.</p>
<p>“I’ll live.” Pidge looked to her hand. It was discoloured and the skin was raised in spots, but it wasn’t too bad. If anything, the fact that she could look back and see those scars meant that she lived. She survived that whole ordeal. “I did live.”</p>
<p>“You did.” Coran leaned over and kissed the side of Pidge’s head in that loving uncle way. “You were strong.”</p>
<p>“I wish we didn’t get separated though...” Allura felt guilty about losing track of Pidge. If they hadn’t, then she felt Pidge would never have been hurt. “I’m sorry, Pidge. The one who hurt you...”</p>
<p>“It’s fine. Things happen.” Pidge reminded. She smiled brightly when Allura hugged her. “Besides, it may have been on me. I was… injured...”</p>
<p>“We know.” Allura sighed. “When we lost track of you, we tracked the green lion… and your blood...” She nearly choked on a sob.</p>
<p>“We found your blood in the hold and we were worried...” Lance continued. “But that let us know something was wrong, so we contacted Kolivan and started our search; thankfully he could spare some Blades to help.”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Pidge nodded. “Thanks, everyone.”</p>
<p>“Now then,” Hunk spoke up to remind Pidge, “eat, eat! You need your strength.”</p>
<p>“Oh hell yeah!” Pidge happily dug in. Sure, she had food while there, but just one meal. And this meal she knew she could fully trust. As she ate, she smiled. The taste. The company. It may not have been Earth with her parents and brother, but it was still home and the team was her family. If it meant always coming back, she would endure all the pain in the universe.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Well, I hope you guys got to enjoy the whump. This was fun to work with. I wasn't sure how well I'd be able to write it or if I'd even get into the groove. But I managed and possibly even succeeded. <br/>Well, until next time!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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